


i'd do anything for you

by MarzgaPerez



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Canon-typical language, Childhood Memories, Coming of Age, Domestic Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Future Fic, I’ll say it again...this is about bras (mildly), Like...bra shopping, M/M, Mickey & Mandy go shopping, Oh yes he would, Other, Protective Siblings, Soft!Mickey, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24455593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarzgaPerez/pseuds/MarzgaPerez
Summary: Mickey and Ian have a preteen daughter with preteen drama. Mickey remembers how he helped Mandy with a similar issue.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich & Daughter, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Mandy Milkovich & Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 4
Kudos: 107





	i'd do anything for you

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, @chuck-the-goon for the fic idea and for the art you have contributed (and will be contributing to this fandom). It’s amazing! Y’all should check it out via Tumblr and Twitter.

Ian walked into the kitchen, brow furrowed. He’d just come from comforting their daughter. At least her sobs had subsided, but even from down the hall, Mickey could still hear the occasional heaving of her poor little chest from crying so hard. 

“Gonna tell me what’s the matter?” Mickey sorta asked, sorta demanded, looking up from where he was seated at the table. In front of him was an open folder of paperwork Abby had brought home from school. Permission slips. After school club sign-ups. An anti-bullying flyer. _Middle school’s a bitch_. He knew that much.

Ian put a finger over his lips, and Mickey nodded. Abby was usually quick to confide in Ian when she was upset. Surprisingly, she’d go to Mickey right away if she’d done something wrong. _Smart kid_. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out which of her dads had gotten into more shit back in the day.

Ian took a seat at the table, still quiet. Mickey ventured a guess about what was going on. “Boy trouble?”

“Hmmm. Not exactly.” The redhead began to study one of the papers on the table, eyebrows raised in alarm. He must have spotted the release for Abby to take Sex Ed. Mickey nudged him. “Well?”

“Oh, yeah. So...there were some kids making fun of her today. Girls, maybe. Said she was a loser for not wearing a real bra.”

“Oh, fuck!” shouted Mickey. He realized he was supposed to be keeping it down and lowered his voice. “We just got her those sports bras she asked for. Jesus, I’m not ready for all this teenage bullshit.”

“I know. And she’s only eleven.” Ian shook his head. “I guess what we bought her isn’t fancy enough.”

Mickey’s insides filled with fresh rage. “And how would the little skanks even know what her bra looks like?” he said through gritted teeth.

“Gym class. They have to dress out.”

“Huh. Nosy bitches. Well, I can take her to Macy’s this weekend. There’ll be some old broad working in the lingerie department who can help her, give her a fitting, see what size might work, what style she’d prefer. Ya know, all that shit.”

Ian chuckled, but the brunet gave him one of his death glares. “I say something funny? 

“Well, kind of...” Ian got rid of the smirk on his face when he realized Mickey was being serious. “Sorry. I just didn’t know you were so knowledgeable about lingerie departments.”

“Fuck you, man. I got a sister. I know...things.”

“Yeah. I got sisters, too. We could call one of them and see if they can take Abby shopping,” Ian suggested.

“Sure. Fine. Whatever the kid wants to do. But she also needs to tell those Regina George wannabes to fuck off,” added Mickey. 

“Agree, but maybe using some different language. And shopping for some new bras wouldn’t hurt.” Ian pinched the bridge of his nose. “God, I can’t believe we’re talking about bras. Never planned on dealing with those.”

Mickey forced a smile as he shuffled the school papers into a neat pile. “Right?” They both knew shit would get tough once Abby tuned eleven or twelve. Gone were the days of constant giggles and piggy-back rides and skinned knees and not giving a shit what the world thought of you. 

“This is just the beginning of this pre-teen bullshit, Mick.”

“I know. Glad she’s a tough kid. It’ll pass.” Mickey stood up from the table and reached into his back pocket for a cigarette. He was down to half a pack a day after months of trying to cut back, but this new stressor called for a smoke. “I’ll talk to her in a few minutes. See if I can cheer her up.” Mickey nodded towards the back door, and that was his way of letting Ian know he needed some air.

“Okay. As for her shopping partner, should I start with Mandy?”

“Yeah. See if she can come over for dinner, too. It’s been awhile. Back in a few.” And with that, Ian turned to his phone to text a plea to his sister-in-law while Mickey stepped outside for a cigarette and to process a memory from nearly twenty five years ago.

_He hated that sound. He hated it because Mandy didn’t do it often. Cry, that is. Only if something really fucking bad was happening._

_Okay, Mickey was gonna have to beat someone’s ass. Unless it was Terry who made her cry. There wasn’t much he could do about that. Other than kick him in the gut, maybe—once he was drunk and passed out on the living room floor._

_The rest of the house was quiet. Mickey was supposed to meet up with his older brothers, but Shelley Myers had called to him from her porch and offered to suck him off. What thirteen old boy would say “no” to that offer? Not Mickey. Not when his brothers were already calling him queer ‘cause he hadn’t fucked a girl yet. Getting his dick sucked seemed to placate their jeers, and Shelley didn’t ask for much in return, other than Mickey walking her to school every now and again._

_But Shelley didn’t swallow, and he had a mess all over his boxers to take care of before he went back out. Only now he could hear Mandy crying, and he couldn’t just leave, not without knowing what was wrong._

_Mickey changed into some clean boxers and tugged his jeans back on before washing his hands and banging on his sister’s door. “Yo, Mandy! Who fucked with you? Was it that Gallagher kid? The dweeby one with all the freckles?” Mickey didn’t know why at the time, wouldn’t have put two and two together for a few more years, but he secretly hoped it wasn’t Ian Gallagher who was messing with his sister._

_“No, M-mickey. It wasn’t...it wasn’t a boy,” Mandy managed through her sobs._

_“You decent? I’m comin’ in.”_

_“Okay…”_

_Mickey pushed inside the room and found Mandy crouched beside her bed, shoes on, hair pinned back, and purse crossed over her shoulder, like she was on her way to do something important. Except her face was all red and blotchy and tear stained._

_“Where ya going?” he asked, scratching his armpit and then dropping his hand to his side when Mandy scowled in his direction. She thought armpits were gross._

_Mandy sniffled and took a deep breath, like she was working up her courage to reveal some deep, dark secret. “Mom…” was all she said._

_“Mom...what?” He didn’t like the sound of this. Either Terry had hit her, and she’d run off, or she was on a—_

_“She’s been drinkin’.”_

_Bender. Yup, he figured._

_“That’s nothing new,” Mickey shrugged._

_“I know, but she was gonna take me shopping today. And she blew all the money on booze.”_

_Laura pulled this shit from time to time. “Yeah, that sucks, but it’s nothing to cry about. Wasn’t the first time, won’t be the last.” Mickey could understand his sister being disappointed, but he didn’t see what the big deal was._

_He was about to inform Mandy he had better things to do, when she yelled out, “She was supposed to take me shopping for bras! I’m practically the only girl in sixth grade without one. It’s fuckin’ embarrassing!” Fresh tears began pouring from the corners of her eyes, and fuck, more than he hated hearing his sister cry, he hated seeing her crying._

_What could he say to that? He didn’t know the first goddamn thing about female rites of passage. He’d seen all the other mouthbreathers in middle school snapping girls’ bra straps, had done it a few times himself because it seemed to make everyone laugh. Well, maybe not the girls, so why did Mandy want a bra so bad anyway?_

_It’s not like she needs one. I mean, she don’t got nothing like the set of knockers on Shelley, Mickey thought to himself. At least he knew better than to say that out loud._

_Instead, he made Mandy an offer that he immediately regretted. “Well, uh...I got some money. Was ‘sposed to give it to Jamie, but he’ll be alright. I’ll go with you. Shopping.”_

_“You?” That idea got Mandy’s attention. So much so that she stopped crying altogether and started laughing. “My brother’s gonna take me shopping for bras?” Then she repeated it like she was telling a whopper of a story to a group of girlfriends. “My brother’s gonna take me shopping for bras!”_

_“Fuck it, then. Forget I said anything,” he huffed, backing out of her room, feeling like a complete idiot for having a weak moment._

_Mandy scrambled to her feet. “No, no. Wait, Mickey. Wait.” She wiped at her nose with the back of her hand and looked at him with those damn weepy eyes of hers. “Don’t leave. I mean, it’s funny and all, but would you go with me? Like, not to try them on or anything, but you could ride with me. And I do need the money. If you can spare it?”_

_And of course he could spare it, and if he did catch any twerps snapping his sister’s bra straps at school, he’d rearrange their fucking faces._

_It wasn’t often he could do much of anything to surprise his little sister, but when he did, there was something warm that grew inside the pit of his stomach and made him feel like everything in the world wasn’t as shitty as he knew it to be._

_That feeling stayed with him on their ride over to the mall via the L. It even stayed with him when Mandy pinched his arm as they stepped into the lingerie section of the ladies department at Macy’s, and he said, a little too loud, “The whores I know wear better looking shit than this.”  
_

_Given that his comment garnered no reaction and seeing no one else around, Mickey proceeded to grab a bra from the nearest rack, his fingers brushing against the silky red straps. Much to Mandy’s horror—or was it amusement?—he draped it across his chest. “How’s this look? Hot, right?”_

_Under any other circumstances, Mickey wouldn’t have been caught dead modeling women’s underwear, but he was enjoying the opportunity to both embarrass and entertain his sister._

_”You’re an idiot,” Mandy said scoldingly. “Put it back before you get us kicked out.”_

_Just then, a gray-haired middle-aged battle axe with a name tag that read “Nancy” appeared out of nowhere. She looked them both up and down, eyes wide at the sight of two scrawny-ass street rats, and gestured at Mickey with her manicured fingers to hand over the bra.  
_

_“Are you children lost?”_

_Mandy giggled as Mickey pulled some manners out of God-knows-where and surrendered the bra. “No, ma’am. We’re not lost at all. My sister’s tits are coming in and—”_

_“Mickey!” she practically screamed and pinched his arm harder this time._

_“Ouch! Jesus!” he yelled and then continued, unphased by his sister's savage behavior. “As I was saying, my sister is a developing young lady, and she needs help finding a bra!” Mickey said quickly, taking a step back before Mandy could pinch him again._

_“Oh, I see,” replied Nancy, her expression softening as she rested a hand on Mandy’s shoulder. “Well, I can help you with that. Come this way, dear. And your, ahem, brother, can wait for you...over there.” The old bird waved her hand in the direction of a bench that was several feet away from all of the lace and silk and funny looking shit that Mickey imagined women wore to feel pretty or sexy or supported, should they happen to be well-endowed like Shelley. None of it did much for him, but he figured maybe he would care about that kind of shit one day._

_Mickey waited for a nod of approval from Mandy. Once she gave him one, he headed over to the bench, watching as Nancy spoke to his sister in a sort of grandmotherly way, asking her what her favorite color was, and telling her she was in good hands. They disappeared deeper into the racks of underwear, and Mickey didn’t have much else to do but people-watch and keep his ears open for when Mandy returned. He had the money, after all._

_It was probably a good half hour before she reappeared and gestured for him to come over to where she was standing. Mandy’s smile had returned, her eyes bright and alert, just under her scraggly bangs that were a little too long. Her smile was totally worth the beating he’d get later for spending Jamie’s money._

_“We found some, Mickey! I’m ready to pay.”_

_“Great. I’ll wait for you outside.”_

_She slugged his arm and muttered “asshole,” and Mickey knew everything was right with the world, at least for those few moments. Mandy walked them over to the register, handed over the cash, and proudly accepted her purchase from Nancy._

_Mickey treated them to a couple of cones before they went to catch the L, and on their way home, Mandy rambled on and on about how Nancy had recommended that she start with a training bra for a few weeks, and then she could graduate into something more roomy. Mickey tuned her out when she started talking about “A cups” and “B cups” and some shit about wires and front clasps. He was just happy that Mandy was happy, and maybe Laura would come out of her drunken stupor eventually and try to make it up to Mandy, but in the meantime, Mickey had saved the day, and maybe he’d hold that over his kid sister’s head for years to come, or maybe he’d just let it be._

Mickey came out of his trance when he heard the door creak and the soft voice of his husband. “Hey, Mick?”

He stumped out his cigarette in the small ashtray he kept on the porch railing. “Yeah? What’s up?” 

“Mandy can take Abby shopping on Saturday.”

“Okay. Good.” Mickey brushed past Ian, who was holding the door open for him. As expected, the redhead patted his husband’s ass and whistled. Mickey didn’t flinch, just rolled his eyes and cracked a smile. “Cool it, slick.”

“Mandy also said she’s happy to carry on the Milkovich tradition. Whatever that means,” Ian added, heading towards the pantry to pull some items out. He paused, arms full of different cans of beans, eyeing Mickey. “Care to elaborate on which tradition she’s referring to?”

“Naw, man. Dunno.” Ian didn’t need to know every soft thing Mickey had ever done. Maybe he’d tell him some other time. “If you’re gonna make chili, I’ll go see if squirt wants to help me make cornbread.”

“Yeah, good idea. And I’ll get that story out of you some other time,” Ian said in the least menacing tone known to mankind.

Mickey walked down the hallway and stopped in front of Abby’s room, taking note of the random artwork she’d taped on the door, some doodles of rainbows and a picture of the three of them at a park. He’d be sad to see them replaced one day by a “Keep Out” sign, but he’d enjoy them for as long as he could.

Mickey knocked on the door. “Abs, it’s Dad. Ya know, your favorite dad. Can I come in?”

He heard a muffled “okay,” that sounded like it was coming from underneath a pillow. And he was right. When he opened the door and scanned the room, he found Abby buried under her covers. “Ian’s making chili. Thought we could do the cornbread together?”

Mickey sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. He was a master at waiting his kid out. After a minute or two, she emerged and kicked off the covers, her big brown eyes staring back at him. “Did he tell you what happened to me today?”

Mickey nodded and beckoned Abby to move over next to him. She did, settling right into the crook of his arm and resting the side of her face against his chest. He leaned down to plant a kiss on top of her light brown hair. “He told me. But he refused to tell me any names of the little skanks. Ian knows me too well. Knows I’d show up at your school and kick some asses.”

Abby looked up at him, and it broke his heart a little bit to see the redness in her eyes, the lingering evidence that something had made her so upset. But at least he’d made her smile.

“Aunt Mandy’s gonna take you shopping this weekend.”

“Yeah?” 

“I mean, I would take you and all, but this seems more like a girls thing, and then we can all have dinner together. How does that sound?”

Abby nodded enthusiastically and wrapped her skinny arms around Mickey’s waist. He noticed a few scabs on her elbows, ones she’d acquired from falling off her bike or playing tag too aggressively with the kids from next door. 

_Dammit_. He was gonna miss his little girl, but thank fuck for their small village, including his own kid sister, who could help them through what was to come. _Periods. Pimples. Crushes. All that girl shit._

**Author's Note:**

> Gracias, E, for the beta and for loving these boys so much!


End file.
